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Tuesday, May 13, 2014

We get a lot of great photos from our customers and Facebook fans, and we wanted to put them all in one place to make it easy to view. We always love getting chainsaw and cut-off saw pictures from great brands including Stihl, Husqvarna, Jonsered, and more, so please post on our Facebook wall to submit your photos and we will add them to the gallery! And of course, thank you to everyone who has submitted their photos so far!

Friday, May 9, 2014

The summer months are when you’ll be enjoying your yard the most, and if it doesn’t look up to your standards, it might be difficult to enjoy it. Follow these top 10 yard care tips to keep your yard and landscaping looking fresh throughout the summer.

1. Water deeply: About 1 to 1.5 inches each time you water your lawn is sufficient, and will give your grass the sustenance it needs to grow deep, healthy roots.

2. Water infrequently: To conserve water, it’s important that you only water your lawn when it needs it. This is going to depend significantly on the climate you live in, but a few signs that you need to water are a bluish-green tint to the grass and footprints lasting longer normal in the grass.

3. Water early in the morning: By watering in the early morning between 4 and 9 a.m., you’re giving the soil a chance to absorb the water before it evaporates. This increases with wind as well.

4. Keep your grass 3 inches or higher: The summer heat will take a toll on short lawns. Setting your mower to cut your grass 3 inches or higher gives protection to the roots and allows them to grow deeply.

5. Mow your lawn often: Mowing often will ensure that your lawn doesn’t get too long and gives shorter blades room to grow.

6. Look out for pests: If your lawn or landscaping isn’t growing properly, make sure that you don’t have a pest problem.

7. Use mulch in your landscaping: Mulching around your landscaping will help the underlying soil retain water and will protect the roots of your trees, shrubs, and flowers from hot and cold weather.

8. Only mulch up to 4 inches: Four inches is fairly thick for mulching, and you will generally only need about a 1 to 2 inch layer. Layering mulch thicker than 4 inches can restrict oxygen to the plant roots and should be avoided.

9. Address weeds in late April and May: Weeds can be removed by hand from your landscaping, but for weeds throughout your lawn, you should apply herbicide only during late April and May. Applying herbicide in the summer can damage your entire lawn due to heat.

10. Use all of the above tips to prevent weeds: A healthy lawn is the best way to prevent weeds. A thick, lush lawn and properly mulched landscaping will make it difficult for weeds to germinate.

Do you have any other summer lawn and landscaping tips? Leave us your thoughts in the comments!

Friday, May 2, 2014

The timber industry in the United States is a vast industry with dozens of different jobs dependent on the health and sustainability of our forests. Foresters (also known as conservation scientists) are tasked with the job of making sure this happens.

You might think that many conservation scientists are there to create restrictions on loggers and make their lives just a little bit more difficult. While it's true that the majority of forestry jobs are through the public sector, many foresters are also employed or contracted by companies within the forest product industry. They might be hired to ensure that they are using sustainable practices, to accurately measure the amount of timber within a particular amount of land, and even to purchase timber for the company.

So let's take a deeper look into what these professionals actually do and how it relates to the timber industry.

Conservation & Resource Management

Due to the lifespan of trees, the timber industry operates on a lengthy production cycle that can last 10 years or more. Foresters have to be able to think far into the future and determine the best ways to conserve and manage timber throughout the cycle. Conservation & resource management foresters may have to predict and protect against anything from potential pest threats to soil contamination to erosion. It's also necessary to determine how much of a particular forest can be harvested without harming the remaining ecosystem.

Procurement Foresters

Some companies will hire foresters to negotiate the purchase of timber from private forests. Many times private landowners are willing to sell the timber that has grown on their land, or they may be growing forests specifically for that purpose. A forester is tasked with determining how much the timber on the land is worth to the company and then creating a strategy to remove the timber according to the terms of the contract they negotiate.

Restoration Planners

Similar to conservation and resource management foresters, restoration managers research ways to improve sustainability and conservation. They may develop better harvesting procedures and strategies, tree improvement techniques, and ways to protect forests from disease, wildfire, and pests. Restoration planners might also monitor and prepare cleared forests for regeneration so the land can be used again.

In addition to these specialties, foresters also have to be knowledgeable in government regulations regarding forests, even if they are on private land. There are ethical considerations to make as well, particularly in regards to habitat protection. In fact, many foresters get into their line of work because they enjoy working to preserve nature and make sure we are using sustainable practices.

If you're a forester or are thinking about becoming one, drop us a comment and let us know about your experiences!

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